The Red Door Conversations

Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself? I will with God’s help.  Focus here is Christ in all persons? What does all persons mean? Are there people who are not fully human? For example Christ in all persons would mean, women, children, poor, rich, and so on and so forth.

Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” And the Lord said, “What have you done? Listen; your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground!” Genesis 4: 9-12

Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Matthew 25: 34-36

Therefore, if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:1-4

One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. Psalm 27:4Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” Mark 10: 21But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10: 41-42Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead. Philippians 3:13To further the conversationWe have been living in the strange new world of COVID-19 for what seems a long time now. We have been living in the world of isolation and social distancing in the midst of a global pandemic. So, what have we learned so far? I have been meditating on that question a lot. For me, I would say I have learned a great deal more about humility. I have been confronted once again with the true nature of my fragile being and my complete dependence on the Spirit. I have seen panic and fear, but I have also seen courage and compassion. I am learning what I value, not in the abstract, but in the real time of my own life. I am learning what would remain if everything else was taken away.- Bishop Steven CharlestonYou (Teresa of Avila) lived that beautiful balance between active service and quiet contemplation. Teach us to be of use in this troubled world at the same time we cultivate joyous intimacy with the Beloved who lives inside us. -Mirabai Starr Life is not the way it is supposed to be. It is the way it is.  The way you cope withs it is what makes the difference.  -Virginia SatirMy grandma who is in isolation accidently dialed a wrong number yesterday and spoke to a random lady also in isolation for twenty minutes about their lives. They’ve exchanged phone numbers to keep in contact and meet when this is over. -unknown author

What does the Scripture say?Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to desist. Proverbs 23:4But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today. Matthew 6:33-34“But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.’” Isaiah 43:1-2: What others think about itGather your strength while you can, for the struggle will continue for some time to come. Turn to your spiritual center, your wild inner land of the sacred, and step into the source of your wisdom. Listen to what your heart tells you. Follow the threads of your own reason and open the toolbox of your common sense. Do this inventory of hope now for you will need all of these resources to navigate the shifting landscape before us. Fear will outlive the virus and distancing will return to what it once was: the partisan divide that separates us. Gather your strength while you can. The old struggle will soon seek the stage once more.- Bishop Steven CharlestonI am learning to trust the journey even when I do not understand it.- Mila BronKeep a Christian from entering the church sanctuary and you have not in the least bit hindered his worship.  We carry our sanctuary with us.  We never leave it. - A.W. TozerThis isolation has created a lot of loss for us; the loss of physical connection, jobs, people, freedom, and routine.  We need to name this as grief. The five stages of grief give us a scaffold to understand what to make of our experience. I would add a sixth stage, that of finding meaning. -David Kessler (paraphrased from a podcast with Brene Brown)

Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. 1Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. James 5:13–16

That same day two of them were walking to the village Emmaus, about seven miles out of Jerusalem. They were deep in conversation, going over all these things that had happened. In the middle of their talk and questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them. But they were not able to recognize who he was.He asked, "What's this you're discussing so intently as you walk along?"They just stood there, long-faced, like they had lost their best friend. (MSG)

Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4: 8-10In the midst of what's going on in life, how can we be the church within us? 

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths.Psalm 28:7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.Listen more about trust in this lively conversation

Living the Beatitude is not easy, but it is the core of faith if you are a Christian or not. Because it calls for compassion, kindness, and love in their purest form. 

We are passionate about many things, which is a great gift. However, to be compassionate through our passionate life is what makes us who we truly are and what God intended us to be. Listen for more

“Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.” -Corrie ten Boom. Listen to Mother Cathy Cox, Dr. Kathleen Jackson, and Fr. Jos Tharakan as they delve deeper into the topic of forgiveness.  Does God forgive us only when we ask for forgiveness? Must we forgive another who has no remorse for their transgression against us? How would you describe forgiveness? Is it an expression of love, moral courage, strength, humility, or some other character trait? How do we forgive ourselves and how does that impact our ability to forgive others? Do you have a method (like prayer) to help you practice forgiveness when none is sought? Matthew 6:14-15 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Ephesians 4:31-32 Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and wrangling and slander, together will all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Matthew 18: 21-22 Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.” Colossians 3: 13 Bear with each other and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also forgive.

Being a Christian is being a lighthouse. The lighthouse does not go around looking for lost boats. They stay in one place, shed their lights all around them and the boats find them. They become the light and that's what we are called to: Become The Light of Christ. Shine like Christ and many will be attracted to the light we are. Listen more from Fr. Jos Tharakan, Fr. Mark Ohloeimeir, Dr. Kathleen Jackson and Fr. Tim Coppinger

A lot of us are scared about what is going on in our world today. Bishop Martin Field, Fr. Steve Rottgers, Mrs. Elaine Atkinson, Dr. Kathleen Jackson, and Fr. Jos Tharakan speak their mind and invites the listers to enter into meaningful living in the midst of anxieties and fears. 

We are called to be the followers of Jesus. We may claim to be followers of Jesus, but not always that's the case. We may be fans of Christ, admiring, appreciating and valuing what Jesus says. But to follow him is a different story. Listen more as you listen to Fr. Tim Coppinger, Fr. Mark Ohlemeier, and your host Fr. Jos Tharakan. Please stop by our online chapel to pray. 

This conversation is about what is true religion. Listen to Fr. Jos and his guests, Dr. Kathleen Jackson and Fr. Mark Ohlemeier. Visit the website.